We have always dreamt of owning a holiday home on the Spanish mainland. With concerns about security and also acknowledging how infrequently we would be likely to make use of somewhere abroad while we’re both working full time in our business, we realised it just wasn’t going to work for us. That’s when I started looking at holiday homes in the UK.
We have friends who own a lodge on the East Coast and so invited them round for drinks to chat through what they liked about it, what they wished they had known before they bought it and things they might have done differently and with that information, I started my search.
I reviewed lots of places online and Patrington Haven Leisure Park seemed to fit the bill. We arranged a visit and bought a caravan the same day! With hindsight, that could have been a mistake but the place just ‘felt’ right. Josie who showed us round was lovely and not pushy at all. We were shown a range of caravans within our budget and we went for a mid-range on a lovely sunny garden plot. The peace of mind of having a 12-month guarantee was another selling point, as was the fact that the site doesn’t insist you upgrade your caravan at any specific age – as long as it’s maintained well, there is no age limit which is quite unusual.
The buying process was really straight forward and the help from all the team was fabulous.
After 6 months, a much newer, slightly larger caravan came up for sale at the side of the lake. Steve is a keen fisherman and the fishing lake was a ‘must have’ for us when choosing the site, so when a lodge became available, we decided to go for it!
We would have been very happy if this was our permanent Patrington holiday home but when Josie told us there was a double size lodge coming up for sale two doors down, it was too good an opportunity to miss and so around 15 months later, we moved once more. Again, Josie and the team have been so helpful in making sure that everything is just right for us. But that’s it now, I’ve promised Steve no more moves!
Whether it’s an older caravan or one of the super new models, buying is a serious investment but one we haven’t regretted for a minute. We live just over two hours away so initially intended to visit alternate weekends, but we tend to come out every weekend if we don’t have plans at home.
Despite having a full kitchen with all the kit, I rarely cook as both the food and staff at Guys are fabulous. The entertainment programme adds to the holiday ‘vibe’ and we always try to make it to the special Owner Select events – something our friends who own at a site further up the coast are quite jealous of!
The minute you drive on to the park, with its beautifully maintained grounds, you immediately relax. The other owners have been very welcoming and there’s a real sense of community and loyalty to the site which speaks for itself.
We love it and would highly recommend it to anyone thinking of holiday home ownership.
